Marine Ecology

Bay Ecology is a Baby CTY course where students are exposed to the beauty of the Chesapeake bay and its surroundings. Its course code is BACO. This course is only offered at Chestertown and is available for both sessions.

Course Description

From the CTY Summer Catalog:

This course gives students a comprehensive view of the Chesapeake Bay, one of the largest estuaries in the world. Students examine the relationships among the land, the rivers, and the Bay, as well as the human impact on this system. They address the greatest problems affecting the Bay—excess nutrients and sediment—and learn how these pollutants reach its waters. Students consider different viewpoints on political, economic, social, and scientific issues affecting the health of the Bay, and they discuss and debate the Bay’s future.

Students strengthen their skills in collecting, recording, and interpreting data through scientific field work. In the course of several field trips to and around the Bay, they collect biological samples, test water quality, pull fishing nets, dredge for oysters, evaluate land usage, and observe wildlife. Students leave with a greater understanding of the intricate and crucial Chesapeake Bay ecosystem.

Lab and Field Trip Fee: $110 (Due to the intensive field component of this course, the lab and field trip fee is higher than for other science courses.)

Students must have completed grades: 5 or 6